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Philly’s forgotten 70s Rock ‘n’ Roll trio once performed with music greats

New biography of Philadelphia band BANG who hit it big in the early 1970s

PHILADELPHIA – April 5, 2018 — Our heads will always jam out to the classic heavy metal rock ‘n’ roll as radios still play the songs we grew up with or cherish from our parents. Relive those times in BANG’s book, The Bang Story. Follow Frank Ferrara, Tony Diorio, and Frankie Gilcken as they tell of their rise to fame starting from meeting in childhood to then performing with Hall of Famers. Re-experience the culture of the time from the trio’s memories and photos. In just under 200 pages, The Bang Story is a fun read filled with Rock ‘n’ Roll nostalgia.

In the summer of 1971, BANG, a trio from the Philadelphia area, decided to take a road trip to Florida to try their fortune. While buying some rolling papers in the Sunshine State, they learned about a Small Faces and Deep Purple concert nearby in Orlando. They showed up at the venue and brazenly declared they were ready to go on stage. The concert organizer asked them to set up and play for him. After a couple songs, he told them they were opening for Rod Stewart and Faces. Before they knew it, BANG was playing with Bachman Turner Overdrive, Deep Purple, Three Dog Night, Fleetwood Mac, Ike and Tina Turner, The Doobie Brothers, and even Black Sabbath. Capitol Records signed them, and three LPs were released. Join Frank Ferrara, Tony Diorio, and Frankie Gilcken, as they recall their rapid rise to fame, playing with numerous Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.

Praise:

… the band “on first listen, sounds incredibly like Led Zeppelin … they play at the same frenetic pace as Zeppelin, and Frank Ferrara’s vocals are so similar to those of Robert Plant’s, as to be downright amazing”
— Billboard magazine (1972)

About the author:
Lawrence Knorr is the author or co-author of more than twenty books, most on regional history and biography. All are published by Sunbury Press, Inc.